What to Do When Youre Second-Guessing a Job Offer - The Muse

What to Do When Youre Second-Guessing a Job Offer - The MuseWhat to Do When Youre Second-Guessing a Job Offer Look at you with that snazzy new job offer After weeks (or maybe months) of searching, youve become a pro at finding the names of hiring managers, writing personalized cover letters, and, of course, mastering the interview process (first, second, and third round, thank you very much). And then it happens Youre offered the position.As skilled in interviewing as you are in mulling over the finer points of an offer, you take a couple of days, and then you accept. The job is yours Life is grand. Or is it?As you inch closer and closer to your first day of work, you start to totally freak out. Did you make a hasty decision? What do you really know about the company, anyway? Why didnt you apply to more jobs? Interview at more places before getting to this point? Why did you accept without talking to your friend Renee, your Uncle Mitch, your buddys little sister, Victoria? What have you gotten yourself into?The anxiety is suddenly fast and furious, and you begin to believe that you made a terrible decision that cant be reversed.If this situation sounds familiar, there are two key things worth remembering One, you probably didnt make anything even remotely resembling a terrible decision. And two, if you did, it can in fact be reversed.Lets talk about the first point for a minute. If you were excited when you received the offer, try to conjure that feeling. Remember what it felt like hearing that this company chose you after learning about your skills and experience and meeting you in person. What youre probably experiencing is cold feet. It happens when we see big changes in our future. Change is scary. Almost always. Do your best to elend let this (absolutely normal) fear taint your initial enthusiasm. Consider reaching out to your supervisor with a friendly email. Ask what you can expect on your first day or week, and let that information settle in. You might be feeling out of the loop (you get an offer, you accept, then you wait- sometimes just a few days, but often weeks- to start), and it could boost your spirits to connect with your future place of employment beyond the initial acceptance. Connecting with your future colleagues online is another idea to get you enthused about your new gig. Retweet something, like an Instagram photo, or reach out on LinkedIn. You might also try psyching yourself up by Googling the company and reading up on recent press. Coming across a flattering piece about the founder or the companys innovative perks is bound to get you pumped. If, like me, youre someone who values a good list (and your excitement isnt stirred by trying one of the tactics above), go ahead and make one Write down all of the reasons youre second-guessing the job. It could be anything from Im worried that the commute is going to suck to Im not koranvers I took enough time off between jobs, to Im not 100% sure this is the best move.Get it all out, and work through each and every one. Most of them are probably related to that good ol cold-feet factor. Youve got nerves. Its a big step starting a new job with all new people in a new building at a new desk, but youve got to go with your gut. And if your gut was screaming yes when the call came in, thats all you really need to know. Quell your chaotic mind, and get ready to begin the next chapter of your career.If, on the other hand, you cannot recall any initial excitement or enthusiasm and truly believe you rushed to a decision, then you have a little more work to do. Deep down, does it feel like you said yes because someone (a parent, partner, friend, or recruiter) pressured you into it? Are your reasons for concern valid (e.g., since accepting, youve received numerous emails from your future boss instructing you to basically start working without getting paid)? If you made a list and you arent able to cross most things off as being silly, nervous anxieties, then yo u very well may have made a bad decision- the wrong decision- and you need to get out of it. While its not terribly common for people to accept jobs and then renege on the offers, it does happen every now and then. Its not going to be the most comfortable thing in the world to rescind your acceptance- and you may unfortunately burn a bridge or two- but itd be worse to let the company invest in your orientation only to have to jump ship a week or month into it. Youll need to think long and hard, but if you conclude that you made a mistake in accepting, just know that you wont be the first one to bow out before the first day. Make sure to read Lily Zhangs advice for what to do when you have to renege- as well as a few tips to help make sure youre never in this boat again. Either way, trust that whatever you decide to do will be the right thing for you. If you accepted and stick with your decision and it works out, youll hardly remember second-guessing yourself. And if you renege, well , youll survive. You always do.Photo of nervous man courtesy of Shutterstock.

Yale School of Management Receives Alumni Gift of $8,888,888

Yale School of Management Receives Alumni Gift of $8,888,888Yale School of Management Receives Alumni Gift of $8,888,888The Yale School of Management started off the new decade well Lei Zhang, a 2002 MBA graduate, pledged $8,888,888 to the business school primarily for the construction of the business schools new campus. A percentage of the donation will also go to scholarships for the Yale international relations program through the Jackson Institute of Global Affairs. Mr. Zhang worked for the Yale Investments Office after graduation and before starting his own hedge fund, Hillhouse Capital Management Ltd., based in Beijing.Mr. Zhangs donation is special for two reasons. First, it is the largest schadstoff in Yale SOM history. Second, the number eight is believed to be lucky in Chinese culture, making $8,888,888 a particularly auspicious number.

What You Can Do in Q4 to Pave the Way for 2018 Hiring Success

What You Can Do in Q4 to Pave the Way for 2018 Hiring SuccessWhat You Can Do in Q4 to Pave the Way for 2018 Hiring SuccessWhat You Can Do in Q4 to Pave the Way for 2018 Hiring Success RossheimIs your company planning to grow next year? Any expansion will likely require an expanded team headcount and an evolving mix of jobs skills. Heres the good news the fourth quarter of the year is the time to lay the groundwork for successful and timely recruitment of the right talent for the year ahead.To give you a head start, weve spoken with recruiters and other workforce experts. Their tactics will help you recruit the talent needed for success in the coming year.Improve recruitment results with enterprise-wide workforce planning. More and more, companies of all sizes are rejiggering their talent acquisition practices by soliciting input from people all over the organization, from line-of-business managers, to rank-and-file workers, to C-suite executives.The organizations that get good result s have refined, organization-wide workforce planning processes that give them more lead time on hiring, says Elissa Tucker principal researcher for human capital management at APQC, a non-profit benchmarking and best practices research firm.Leverage data to win the attention of your product-line managers. Would you like to persuade managers to contribute to workforce strategy earlier in the planning cycle? Show them the data average tenure in key roles, how much attrition can be expected in 2018, and so on.Analytics is a door opener, says Tucker. Analytics gets the attention of line-of-business managers with regard to workplace planning and their role in it.Increase the frequency of all-hands workforce planning check-ins. Your organizations ideal talent mix changes continually, so its arbitrary and ill-advised to make a plan only once a year and set it in stone. Recognizing this, more and more organizations are checking in with all workforce stakeholders at least quarterly, Tucker s ays.Plan all your early 2018 hires before Thanksgiving 2017. Dont wait for New Years to get specific about your hiring plans for the early months of the year. Take the first steps now to avoid getting caught flat-footed mid-winter.A lot of candidates dont make moves during the holidays, so we start talking about January hires around Thanksgiving, says Juli Santiago, a vice president at Search Max.Scope out regulatory changes scheduled throughout 2018. With the changeover of White House administrations, Federal labor regulations are in flux. Your organization must keep on top of pending changes at the national level, but also keep abreast of proliferating state and local changes.For example, starting in October 2017, in New York City, we can only ask candidates about target salary range, not their current salary range, says Santiago. For starters, the Society for Human Resource Management maintains a Federal and state labor legislation tracking system.Recognize that market forces can trump Federal deregulation. In 2018 wages and employment classifications such as overtime exempt versus non-exempt likely will be driven more by a very tight labor market than by looser regulation.For the last year of Obamas presidency, everyone thought the FLSA overtime wage floor was going to go up, but that has died on the vine under Trump, says Todd Wulffson, managing partner at Carothers DiSante Freudenberger.But given near full employment, employers will be unlikely to rescind wage increases given in preparation for the FLSA revision.Anticipate fewer surprises from the NLRB. Employers can expect the National Labor Relations Board now comprised of two Republicans and two Democrats to be solidly in Republican hands after the president fills a vacancy in 2018, according to Wulffsson. With this shift, the NLRB will be less aggressive about asserting novel forms of worker claims against employers, he says.The effects in 2018 are likely to be lower costs and less risk in field ing a workforce. And that means your competitors may be more aggressive in staffing up than they have been for the last several years.Invest more in junior-level searches. In the wake of the 2007-2009 recession, it was relatively easy to recruit young talent with some experience. Not so in 2018. The hardest-to-fill jobs are the ones that ask for five years of experience, says Santiago. Because were in a candidate-driven marketplace, a candidate can be looking at five offers at once.Have a backup plan for the hardest-to-fill roles. You cant always get exactly what you want, especially if youre looking for professionals with rare technical skills. So be flexible.In cybersecurity, broader skills are often better, says Jeff Freiss, practice leader for cybersecurity at Global Executive Solutions Group. Because of the talent shortage, companies cant always hire a specialist. Ive been focusing on security engineers and security architects, who are more adaptable than specialists in specifi c programming languages, for example.

8 Gifts Any Working Mom Would Love

8 Gifts Any Working Mom Would Love8 Gifts Any Working Mom Would LoveIts not easy to come up with great gifts for working mothers. Many of us are too busy or distracted even to think about let alone tell someone what we need or want to make our lives easier. But these working mother gifts are practical surefire winners. Try them for the working mom you know 01Anything That Can Help Organize Her Life More LukaTDB/Getty ImagesThis might seems like a boring gift but any working mom would love to receive a high-tech device that helps her clean quicker.Check out this review of the six best steam mops to buy in 2018, then head over to any retail store, or plattl on up online.Its the thought that countsAny gift to a working mom will be appreciated. She is a hard worker both at home and at work. Giving her a gift will make her feel appreciated and special, which is just what shed like to feel.

Small Business Tax Tips for Year-End 2013

Small geschftsleben Tax Tips for Year-End 2013Small Business Tax Tips for Year-End 2013Small Business Tax Tips for Year-End 2013 Weltman, author of J.K. Lassers Small Business Taxes 2014(Wiley 2013)Its never too early, or too late, to take action that can translate into tax savings. With the clocking ticking on 2013, nows the time to get started on your taxes.New tax rules for 2013 and uncertainty about sometax rules for 2014 make planning challenging. Here are five helpful ideas you can use now.1. Assess your profitabilityYou have to know whether youre profitable to determine the actions youll take between now and the end of the year.In the red. If 2013 is disappointing, a sad fact for many businesses, you may be able to salvage something good from your loss.The business loss in 2013, called a net operating loss, can be carried back to offset income reported in up to two previous years (three years small businesses with disaster losses five years for farmers).By filing for a quick r efund at the start of 2014, you will get an immediate infusion of cash from the government you dont have to wait until you file your return to benefit from this tax break.In the black. If 2013 is shaping up to be a good year, congratulations You can use the following strategies to reduce the taxes that youd otherwise pay on your profits.2. Set up a retirement plan Put your profits to good use by saving taxes now and by creating a financially-secure future by setting up a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan. You can use a 401(k) plan even if youre the only participant.For example, if youre a sole proprietor with no employees and set up a 401(k) plan, you can make both employer and employee contributions to the plan (even though youre self-employed and notlage an employer or an employee). For 2013, you can shelter up to $56,500 of your income in the plan if your net earnings from the business are sufficient.Sign the paperwork with a financial institution by December 31 to create the plan you then have until the extended due date of the 2013 income tax return to make tax-deductible contributions.If you miss the December 31 deadline, youll still be able set up and fund a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan for 2013 up to the extended due date of the 2013 return (October 15, 2014.)3. Give year-end bonusesIf you can afford to give bonuses to your staff, determine now what they will be.The bonuses, and your payroll taxes on them, are deductible. Accrual based-businesses can deduct in 2013 bonuses for rank-and-file employees declared before the end of the year as long as they are paid by March 15, 2014.Bonus payments to employees who own more than 50% of the company, C corporation shareholders as well as payments to owners of S corporation shareholders (regardless of their ownership percentage) become deductible only when actually paid.C corporations in manufacturing, technology, retail or wholesale businesses may want to give qualified small business stock as bonuses before the end of the year instead of cash. Employees who hold shares more than five years wont pay any tax on their gains.Note Because of the new, additional Medicare tax of 0.9% on earned incomefor high-income taxpayers, check for withholding requirements for employees earning more than $200,000 (including commissions and bonuses.)4. Upgrade your equipmentTake advantage of the great write-offs allowed in 2013 for buying machinery and equipment for your business. This is your opportunity to get those new gadgets, such as tablets and smartphones, for you and your staff. Besides the usual depreciation allowance, there are two write-offs that may be usedFirst-year (Section 179) deduction of up to $500,000. This break applies for both new and pre-owned items, but you have to be profitable to benefit from this write-off.Bonus depreciation of 50% of the cost. This break applies only to new items, but can be used whether or not youre profitable. Note Financing the purc hase in whole or in part does not limit your write-off in any way. And interest on your business borrowing is also tax deductible.5. Charitable donationsConsider sharing your good fortune by giving money, inventory, or other property on a tax-deductible basis.There are enhanced deductions for donations of certain types of gifts, such as food inventory to certain charitable organizations. Just be sure to keep receipts and, where required, obtain written acknowledgments for the contributions you make.Contributions via checks mailed by December 31 and credit cards charged by this date are deductible in 2013 for calendar-year businesses.Cant afford cash donations? Consider allowing your staff to take time off this holiday season for volunteering, especially if this is a slow time for business. Your company can support a particular charity and garner favorable publicity for your good works. Your cost employees wages for their volunteer time, which is deductible by your company.Final remi nderIf you do nothing else, be sure to schedule a meeting with your tax advisor. Business owners may need tax advice for their business as well as for their personal situation in light of new tax burdens on successful people. Your advisor should help youcraft personalized strategies to implement before the end of the year that will help you save more on your 2013 return.Reprinted with permission of John Wiley Sons, Inc. Barbara Weltman, J.K. Lassers Small Business Taxes 2014.Legal Disclaimer None of the information provided herein constitutes legal advice on behalf of Monster.LearnmoreVideo Ace your Year-End Business Goals

Understanding Hireit Resume

Understanding Hireit Resume Be specific about how yur qualifications can assist the company succeed. Also, it ought to communicate with insurance organizations to validate policy info, send claims and get remittances. There might be a selection of jobs youre qualified for that can help you on your career path. You may have a few distinct forms of jobs or industries that you anticipate applying to. Since you currently have a prior career, you will automatically have some abilities and experience that are necessary to gaining employment. The courses are made to be self-paced. Transferable skills are those which are needed in a number of industries and jobs, such as effective communication. It is possible to even try to have a career assessment test to help you discover your possible careers. The Debate Over Hireit Resume Ensuring that theres enough white-space on your resume and it has a balanced look will boost its readability. If you are in possession of a well-written resu me already, tailoring may not take a great deal of time. Identified requirements necessary for the design and evolution of use cases using UML. For this kind of unprocessed order the customer should be provided the choice to easily retrieve his purchase and modify it to the tablet POS. Its apparent that POS process is a term that implies a wide selection of capabilities based on the end-user requirements. POS systems are among the fruchtwein complex software systems available on account of the characteristics that are required by different end-users. The POS process is also not run locally, so theres no installation required.Since then a wide selection of POS applications are developed on platforms like Windows and Unix. To earn a payment, payment terminals, touch screens, and a number of other hardware and software choices are available. Rugged hardware is necessary for point of sale systems utilized in outdoor environments. What service are you going to hire. Unless your e properly trained on how best to write ATS Resumes, it is critical that you employ a Minneapolis Resume Specialist Service trained in ATS Optimization. Check our reviews of the best rated resume services. Just provide your whole document and seek the services of the service. Hireit Resume The following advice will aid you in your preparation. With a traditional Resume, youre one among the lakhs with precisely the same outlook. If this SQL Developer resume example was not sufficient for you, youre totally free to review several other samples and templates from our website. Possessing several versions of your resume is recommended if youre applying for several forms of jobs. What Is So Fascinating About Hireit Resume? With all that effort, at this point you wish to make sure you have only the proper voice to deliver your content. There are a number of unique methods to organize the info on your resume, but the decent old reverse chronological (where your latest experience is listed first) is still your best option. You could be tempted to throw in tons of industry jargon so that you sound as if you understand what youre speaking about, but ultimately you need your resume to be understandable to the ordinary individual. The good thing is that it there are a few tricks to help you produce a winning resume however much experience youve got or what industry you work in. Our focus is to make sure you locate the perfect job for you. In case you have between six and ten decades of experience, youve done a good deal in the workforce and you should demonstrate that while not letting your key abilities and accomplishments become buried. For each resume you send out, you will want to highlight only the accomplishments and techniques which are most relevant to the job at flosse (even if this indicates that you dont incorporate all your experience). Balancing the huge accomplishments on a single hand and the breadth of your abilities and duties on the other is a tricky proposition, and finding the ideal balance differs for everyone based on their history and what sort of jobs theyre seeking. The Dos and Donts of Hireit Resume Before your hour or reckoning, you must have prepared on the a variety of questions that you expect to get asked. A mistake which most people make is to prepare an exact great resume which does not capture any product that was indicated on the work description. Nobody can do something they dont enjoy for at least 40 hours weekly for 25-30 decades. There were not any answers easy to get in year one. Hireit Resume Fundamentals Explained Developing a directive resembles creating a component. Zhang demonstrates here ways to show five distinct qualities with the exact bullet pointtry it yourself until you receive the result youre opting for For instance, a site administrator needs to be in a position to see and edit everything, though a normal user shouldnt. Attempt to match these with job descriptions so th at you may determine what you would like to do. Its simple to navigate thanks to the usage of icons in section headers and in the contact information section. More information can be found on the Pennant training page.

4 Ways to Identify Staffing Candidates Who Arent Fully Committed

4 Ways to Identify Staffing Candidates Who Arent Fully CommittedYou spent days scouring your talent pool and after aelendlageher week of careful screening, youve narrowed down the best candidates to present to your clients. notlage only were they impressed with the fast turnaround, but also they were thrilled with the group of potential employees and quickly made their offer.A week later, you get a discouraging call from your client. They need another batch of candidates immediately. The promising new hire they were so excited about never showed up.This happens more often than staffing professionals prefer to admit. In fact, a 2018 CareerBuilder survey found for 67 percent of employers, a quarter of new hires have bailed on their first day of work. In and of itself, this is a huge problem for staffing professionals. Predictably, it also leads to clients trusting you less. Plus, it signifies an issue with the staffing process if flaky and disloyal candidates keep getting through.Unfor tunately, its not always easy to spot candidates who arent going to follow through after accepting an offer. And while none of the following red flags guarantee a candidate will back out of a job, seeing multiple signs should stop and make you think.Here are four indications a staffing candidate wont commit, and the interview questions you need to ask to confirm their intentions1. Having no connection to the company or its missionJob fit is incredibly important, especially for in-demand roles that require hard-to-find skills. But being able to do a job isnt what ties a candidate to the position or organization. There has to be a deeper connection, and the candidate needs to believe in what the company is striving to achieve. The less a staffing candidate cares about the organizations mission and values, the higher the likelihood they wont stick around for the long run.Interview question to assess What part of this job would make you proud on a daily basis?When reviewing candidates a nswers to this question, see how closely the task or responsibility ties to the company mission statement. If their pride and satisfaction are influenced mostly by what they would personally achieve, they probably dont relate to the organizations overarching goals. You need to look for clues they understand how their contribution to the team would support and represent what the company stands for.If a companys mission doesnt resonate with a staffing candidate, they wont likely last long.Click To Tweet2. Not asking thoughtful questionsSerious candidates want to make sure theyll fit in and be happy at a company. They ask follow-up questions to dig deeper and uncover what the job and the organization are really like. They might even ask to see employee testimonials so they can verify your answers. If a candidate isnt interested in learning about the company, theres a good chance they arent interested in committing to it.Interview question to assess Do you have any questions?This might seem like an obvious question, but its important to be direct. Some candidates are nervous during the staffing process and wont inquire about the organization unless theyre invited to open up. Its a positive sign when candidates ask insightful or specific questions after being prompted. If they ask generic questions or have none at all, proceed with caution.3. Answering straight from the websiteResearching companies is an important part of the job search. When an individual looks at multiple sources of information, they begin to form a complete picture of the company and can describe it in their own words. Candidates who are not invested in the role will not be interested enough to fully research the organization. They will only look at the website and repeat whats available there during the interview.Interview question to assess What part of the company would you improve first?A candidate who hasnt done their research, wont have a thoughtful or original answer to this question. Com panies dont generally list their faults on their websites, so without some investigation, a candidate will have to guess our admit they dont know. However, a candidate who cares about the organization will be able to form a coherent response about ways to improve the company.Truly interested staffing candidate will be able to talk about the company in their own words.Click To Tweet4. Responding with inconsistenciesWhen candidates lie or are inconsistent during the staffing process, its a major red flag. Aside from the ethical implications of presenting a dishonest candidate to a client, its also more likely these employees wont even show up to work. Remember, inconsistencies arent just in the details of their resume or a story they share. Staffing candidates can also give different accounts about what theyre looking for in a job, what their passions are, etc.Interview question to assess Tell me more aboutAs soon as you suspect a staffing candidate is fabricating or exaggeration a re sponse, ask follow-up questions to get to the bottom of things. Candidates who are telling the truth will have no problem providing additional details. Those who are lying will fumble around in their follow-up responses.

9 Highest Paid Part-time Jobs for Students [Infographic]

9 Highest Paid Part-time Jobs for Students Infographic9 Highest Paid Part-time Jobs for Students Best part-time jobs for studentsCompleting a bachelors degree and working at the same time is not an easy task. If you can rely on scholarships or student loans to cover your tuition fee, and on your parents to take care of your living costs, you might argue that you dont need a job.However, at a certain age young people want to feel financially independent. Whether you need the money to pay your bills or would like to earn some extra money to buy these jeans you like so much, having a part-time job can have a positive effect on both your bank account and your self-confidence. Besides the fiscal part, here are a few other benefits of having a student job while studying.Earn Extra, Explore MoreEarning your own money can surely boost your confidence, but it can also make your life mora exciting. Remember the trip you have been dreaming about? Or this fancy new restaurant you wanted to visit ? When you have an additional income, you can afford to indulge yourself more often. If you now think that when you get a job, youll have less time to explore the world, just keep reading.Learn How to Manage Your Money and TimeEven though every job requires a degree of time, you become better at managing your schedule when youre busier. Having a personal calendar with important deadlines, school and work projects, social events, etc. can be of great help.Money management is also a skill that people obtain at a different point in their life. The sooner you learn how to spend your money wisely, the better.Expand Your NetworkMeeting new people at your college or university is an excellent way to broaden your network. So is it at your workplace. Regardless of the position you have, working part-time allows you to socialize better and encounter people with diverse backgrounds.Improve Your RsumLast but not least, working while still studying can give you a competitive advantage - your fut ure employer will be impressed by your extensive rsum. Nowadays, both education and professional experience are valued equally. But while many can have a bachelors diploma, only a few will graduate with a certain real work experience. Would you miss the opportunity to be ahead of the competition?In case you have already started looking for part-time jobs, let us help you.

Legal Secretary Roles on the Rise

Legal Secretary Roles on the Rise Hybrid Paralegal/Legal Secretary Roles on the Rise HYBRID PARALEGAL/LEGAL SECRETARY ROLES ON THE RISELawyers were asked, Have blended or hybrid paralegal/legal secretary positions become mora or less common than they were two years ago?*24% Much more common42% Somewhat more common17% No change4% Somewhat less common1% Much less commonDont know 11%Lawyers were asked, Does your law firm or company plan to increase or decrease its hiring of legal support professionals for blended or hybrid paralegal/legal secretary positions in the next 12 months?*1% Increase significantly14% Increase somewhat61% Keep the same/no change9% Decrease somewhat1% Decrease significantlyDont know 15%50% of current legal support jobs at respondents law firms or companies are blended paralegal/legal secretary positions.

2012 Best and Worst Places to Work in the Federal Government

2012 Best and Worst Places to Work in the Federal Government 2012 Best and Worst Places to Work in the Federal Government 2012 Best and Worst Places to Work in the Federal Government In recent years, federal workers have seen their salaries frozen and find themselves at the center of a partisan debate over the value of their work. But some agencies have managed to keep their employees happy. Here are the federal governments best and worst places to work, ranked by the Partnership for Public Service. The results are based on the annual Office of Personnel Management survey, sent this year to 2 million employees. Visit bestplacestowork.org to see how your agency stacks up. Best large agencies 1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2. Intelligence Community 3. Department of State 4. Department of Commerce 5. Environmental Protection Agency Worst large agencies 1. Department of Homeland Security 2. Department of Veterans Affairs 3. Department of Agriculture (tie) 3. Department of Labor (tie) 5. Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, Defense Agencies, and Department of Defense Field Activies Best mid-size agencies 1. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 2. Government Accountability Office 3. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (tie) 3. Smithsonian Institution (tie) 5. Federal Trade Commission Worst mid-size agencies 1. Broadcasting Board of Governors 2. National Archives and Records Administration 3. Department of Housing and Urban Development 4. Securities and Exchange Commission 5. Department of Education Best small agencies 1. Surface Transportation Board 2. Congressional Budget Office 3. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service 4. Peace Corps 5. National Endowment for the Humanities Worst small agencies 1. Office of the U.S. Trade Representative 2. Federal Maritime Commission 3. Federal Election Commission 4. Federal Housing Finance Agency 5. Millenium Challenge Corporation SOURCE: Partnership for Public Service. GRAPHIC: The Washington Post. Published Dec. 13, 2012.